Arvanite (Arvanitika) Albanian Feminine Names from Koropi and Attica

Arvanite (Arvanitika) Albanian Feminine Names from Koropi and Attica

Main List (Arvanitika form → Standard Greek equivalent)

  • Fulia → Sophia / Sofje
  • Noulia (Giannoula) → Ioanna / Joanna
  • Toula / Toulia → Dimitra
  • Poulia / Bilio / Tsilo / Silio / Tsia / Tsiko → Vasiliki (Royal)
  • Lioulia / Liona → Isidora
  • Lioli / Lilio → Georgia (little flower)
  • Touda / Tunda → Theodora
  • Couza / Kouza → (possibly from Koulouri; uncertain)
  • Konstantina → Konstantina
  • Shitsa / Zitsa → possibly from Zoe (Life)
  • Simo / Sirmo → Sidiri (Iron)
  • Katingo, Rina, Lina → Katerina / Catherine
  • Koulio / Koula, Angelo, Tzelio → Angeliki
  • Kona → Angeliki (specific to Vilia, Attica)
  • Marditsa / Tuesday → Martha
  • Tiego / Lien(a) → Eleni / Helen
  • Marigo, Malio, Margio, Mario → Maria
  • Stamato, Mata, Tsamalo → Stamatina
  • Kotsiro / Kotsina, Niatsa → Konstantina
  • Tsilia / Sotira → Sotiria (Salvation)
  • After / Ananias → Despina (Miss / Lady)
  • Fotini / Fotia → Fotini (the bright one)
  • Tsavoulo / Voula → Stavroula (of the Cross)
  • Vagelio, Litse, Tzelio → Evangelia (Gospel)
  • Filio → possibly from Triantafyllia (Roses) or Phylacti (Guardian)
  • Milio / Miles → Kalomira (Good fate / Good fortune)
  • Tasso / Tasina, Nasti → Anastasia
  • Rinio / Rina → Eirini / Irene (Peace)
  • Fanio → Fani
  • Orsha → Orsalia
  • Search / Seven → Eftalia / Euthalia
  • Koliana, Nikolitsa → Nikoleta
  • Panagiou, Gioutsa, Titsa → Panagiota
  • Vgenia / Nia / Niatsa → Eugenia
  • Nasta → Athanasia
  • Channa → Alexandra
  • Tsevi / Tsevoula → Paraskevi (Friday)
  • Pigi → Pigi (Source / Spring)
  • Pagona → Pagona (Peacock)

“Ancient Greek” Names Adopted Later (late 19th century) and pronounced in Arvanitika

  • Antogoni → Antigoni
  • Aspasia → Aspasia
  • Amalia → Amalia / Mali, Malitsa
  • Erasmia → Erasmia
  • Polyxeni → Polyxeni (Foreigner)
  • Eyanthia / Eanthia → Euanthia (Flower of flowers)
  • Eypraxia → Praxio, Faxio
  • Kalliopi → Kalliopi / Popi, Pipitsa
  • Afroditi → Aphrodite / Beta
  • Elizabet → Elisavet
  • Olympia → Olympia (floating / Olympian)
  • Marina → Marina
  • Eleftheria → Eleftheria (Liberty)
  • Margarita → Margarita / Lita (Vilia)
  • Kyriaki → Kyriaki (Sunday)
  • Athina → Athina / Thenia, Nia, Thenousa, Nioulis

Note for Albanian speakers:

Many of these names (or very similar forms) do exist in Albania and among Albanians in general, especially:

Maria, Katerina, Eleni, Anastasia, Konstantina, Despina, Fani, Irene, Eugenia, Athanasia, Paraskevi, Sotiria, Theodora, Dimitra, Vasiliki, Sophia, Ioanna, Panagiota, Angeliki, etc.

Some Arvanitika pronunciations are very close to how older generations in southern Albania or among Orthodox Albanians pronounce them (e.g. Marigo, Katingo, Toulia, Voula, Rina, Nasta, Pagona).

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